Many toys have been provided through the years for use in combination with malleable materials such as clay, modeling plastic or the like. For example, toy manufacturers have provided various modeling material extruders, molders and sculpting toys. Often, such toys are used in combination with supporting figures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,647 issued to Renger, et al. sets forth an ACTIVITY TOY FOR FORMING AND DISSOLVING A FIGURE TOY in which a toy monster figure is formed by shaping a plastic molding material mixed with sodium bicarbonate powder around a toy skeleton. A vertically extending clear reservoir of diluted citric acid solution is provided and, in the normal play pattern, the molded figure is immersed into the dilute citric acid bath and the bicarbonate material is removed to reveal the underlying skeleton.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,319 issued to Zaruba, et al. sets forth a FIGURE INCLUDING EXTRUSION MEANS ACTIVATED BY FIGURE APPENDAGES in which a toy figure includes an interior reservoir within which a molded malleable material is received An extruder piston is movable within the interior to force the malleable material outwardly through apertures provided in the figure's exterior as one or more appendages are moved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,367 issued to Zaruba, et al. sets forth a FIGURE INCLUDING MEANS FOR EXTRUDING PLASTIC SUBSTANCE generally similar to the above-described '319 patent and providing similar malleable material extrusion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,347 issued to Fauls sets forth a FLEXIBLE DOLL CLOSURE AND HEAD MOUNTING formed having a molded elastic outer skin and defining an interior cavity filled with a viscous liquid filler. A separate molded head is removably attachable to the figure to permit filling of the figure interior with the viscous material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,336 issued to Kuhn sets forth a STRETCHABLE FIGURE EXHIBITING SLOW RECOVERY HAVING A SKIN OF ELASTIC FILM MATERIAL AND A HOLLOW INTERIOR FILLED WITH A HIGH VISCOSITY MATERIAL.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,323,522 issued to Journette sets forth a FLAT DOLL having an improved matter of affixing hair to the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,0711,225 issued to Buttigieg sets forth a TAPE MEASURE having a fanciful hollow head structure such as a clown head defining a mouth aperture. A simulated tongue extends through the mouth aperture from the head interior. A flexible tape measure reel is supported within the head and is coupled at one end to the tongue allowing the tape measure to be drawn outwardly through the figure's mouth.
Practitioners in the various arts have, in addition, provided a variety of hand operated pumps and similar apparatus. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,819 issued to Emerit and entitled SOURCE OF VACUUM AND DEVICE FOR MAINTAINING A NEGATIVE PRESSURE IN AN ENCLOSURE U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,608 issued to Schuman and entitled MANUALLY OPERATED SUCTION DEVICE FOR CAPTURING SMALL OBJECTS and U.S. Pat. No. 2,620,114 issued to Graham and entitled FILLING DEVICE FOR GREASE GUNS all set forth similar structures for drawing or suctioning various materials varying from an air volume to high viscosity materials such as lubricating grease. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,925 issued to Hawkins and entitled SUCTION PUMP, U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,531 issued to Haeuptli and entitled SUCTION PUMP, U.S. Pat. No. 2,915,986 issued to Sisson and entitled HAND PUMP FOR LIQUIDS and U.S. Pat. No. 2,049,872 issued to Sera and entitled VACUUM PUMP all set forth various hand operated air or fluid pumps having similar structures.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to different levels of success met the needs of manufacturers and consumers in various art areas, the demanding toy art exhibits a continuing need for evermore varied and inventive toy combinations.